Bottom of the Ocean
by lexiepedia
Summary: A Collection of one-shots with snippets out of Kono and Steve's Life. Plots that have popped in my head and won t go away, but since I don t have the time or patience to work on a multi-chapter story I give you plenty of one shots. Some will have follow ups others won t. Enjoy and feel free to come with suggestions!
1. Chapter 1

Attraction

Steve steered the helicopter over the black ocean, the island of Oahu closing in on the horizon, when his nerves suddenly hit him. He hunted down dangerous criminals and ran head first into gunfights for a living and it did not face him the slightest, but facing the girl he liked had him shaking in his boots. It had been weeks since he last saw Kono and he couldn't wait to see her, but he could not imagine her being too happy with him for taking off and leaving for Japan without a word.

From the minute Steve first met Kono he noticed the attraction between the two of them. There was something about her that drew him in and the more time they spent together, the more Steve found himself wanting to be a part of her life. He had gone out of his way to include her in the team. Whenever they went out for drinks after work or staying behind at the office to watch old football-tapes, he would make sure that she felt invited. He even started to ask her out for morning surfs just the two of them because he wanted to spend some time with her without the presence of Danny or Chin. They flirted and bantered over the smart table for months but it was only a couple of weeks ago that something really happened.

One night after he had had the team over for a regular barbeque, he snapped. Danny had just left to drop Grace of and Chin had gone with, which left him and Kono alone on the lanai. They talked and laughed and when Kono later took a look on her watch, several hours had gone by without them noticing. She had made her excuses and said that she would just finish off her beer and then she would be out of his hair.

Without having thought it through, he had leaned over his chair and pressed his lips against hers. He was about to pull back, thinking he had made a huge mistake when she didn't respond, when she kissed him back. When they broke apart for air, he pulled her into his lap and that's how they stayed for the rest of the night. Kono in his arms, snuggled up on his deckchair while they talked about everything from the moon to the sun. When neither could keep their eyes open any longer, Kono left so that they could both get some shuteye before they had to go to work.

Everything had gone perfectly until everything with Shelburne had blown up and he left for Japan to find him. He did not regret going after the person who was the reason his parents got killed. What he did regret however was that he did not determine what he and Kono had. He had done the same thing with Catherine. They never determined what they were and he did not mind, but just the thought of Kono being with someone else drew him mad. He wanted her to be there when he got back and for them to pick up where they left off so badly, just hearing her voice over the phone earlier made his stomach ache with longing, but he had a nagging feeling in his head that that was not going to happen.

He landed the helicopter on the deserted parking lot and just as he was about to bring out WoFat, several black SUVs busted through the gate at the far end of the lot. Within seconds they were surrounded by the Yakuza with guns pointing at them, Adam Noshimuri in the front. It did not look good.

"This isn't your fight McGarrett. I don't want to hurt you." said Adam. The man was obviously upset and worked up. His hand was shaking badly and the eyes were those of a tortured soul.

"I'm taking him to jail, Adam. He's going to prison and he's going to rot there!"

"It's not enough!" He yelled.

Steve understood his pain. What he saw in the hotel bathroom in Japan was more than enough for him to understand that Adam wanted revenge, but he also knew the pain from the loss of your father. He himself had been hell-bent on getting even, until he realised that putting Wo-Fat in the ground was not the right way. It would not give Adam any peace of mind if he shot Wo-Fat right here and now, his father would still be dead and he would always feel hate towards the man who killed his father.

"Adam!" came Kono's voice from behind him. Steve swirled around and there she stood, all dressed in black and her gun at the ready. He tried to catch her eye but her focus was solely on Adam Noshimuri. "Put the gun down."

Steve did not know what hurt the most. The fact that Kono wouldn't even look at him or the tone of her voice as she pleaded with Adam. It was soft and intimate, like there was a history between them and he did not like that, he didn't like that at all, because that meant that he and Kono were over.

As soon as HPD arrived he gladly handed over Wo-Fat into their custody before he turned towards his team who was waiting for him. Danny was grinning like a goof and embraced him with open arms and so did Chin, which only left Kono. He wasn't quite sure how to go about it. Was he supposed to hug her, kiss her or just greet her from a distance? He didn't have to wait long though because Kono walked timidly up to him and gave him a long awaited hug.

"You don't write, you don't call…" she teased, making him laugh.

"It's good to be home!"

Steve stifled a yawn and threw his arm around Kono's shoulders. This had been one of the longest days of his life. His entire body ached from being on high alert all day and engaging in deadly combat, not to mention that it had been over 24 hours since he got some proper rest. All he really wanted to do right now was to go home and go to bed. He yawned again, but this time he didn't even have the energy to hide it from the others.

"Come on babe!" Danny laughed. "I'll give you a ride home."

After a quick goodbye to Chin and Kono, Steve let himself be lead over to the silver camero and before he knew it they were parked in his driveway.

"You good babe?" asked Danny.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow." he said and got out of the car.

The house was covered in complete darkness and just inside the door lay a huge pile of mail that Steve only gave a fleeting glance. He couldn't be bothered to care of the mail or turn on the lights, he just dumped his bag onto the floor and climbed the staircase. Walking into the bedroom he shrugged of his shoes and fell face down onto the bed and within seconds Steve was asleep.

Kono was nervous. She was never nervous, but it wasn't everyday she was on her way to meet her boss that she liked for the first time in weeks.

The team was meeting up at Kamekona's for lunch. It was their day off and what better than to have a reunion at their regular place? Kono would rather be back home, hiding under her covers. But her she was, parking her car next to Danny's in the parking lot. If Danny was here than Steve was probably there as well.

Kono could feel how her heart pounded faster in her chest. She had no idea how she was supposed to act. What did he expect of her? Did he expect her to hug him, kiss him or had he forgotten all about what they had and did no longer care for as more than a colleague? Did she want him to hug or kiss her? There were so many different scenarios flying around in her head and before she knew it she had arrived at their regular table and was forced to face her demons.

"Hey guys!" was the solution she came up with.

Chin was sitting next to Danny and Grace on one side, which only left her to sit next to Steve on the other side. Kono sat down carefully and cast a sidelong glance at Steve. He smiled slightly at her and she thought that perhaps Steve did not know how to act either. She smiled back.

Kamekona came over with their usual orders and a couple of beers. After a few minutes it started to feel like every other meal they use to share. Danny and Steve kept up their normal banter while Kono and Grace laughed at them. Chin hid his amusement behind his bottle. It felt good, but Steve and Kono never addressed each other directly and if the others noticed they didn't say anything.

Sometime during the lunch Steve had moved closer to her on the bench. The distance that at the beginning had been several inches was now non-existent. How she had missed it she did not know. Before she could ignore him, but now she was painfully aware of his presence. Steve's thigh was pressed up against hers and Kono could feel the heat radiating from him on her bare skin. She stared down at the table and did everything to ignore what his closeness did to her. She was so intent of thinking of anything but the feeling of Steve pressed up against her that she did not even notice how everyone at the table was staring at her.

"Kono? Are you alright there babe?" Danny's question brought her back to reality.

"Yeah, I am fine." she said.

"You haven't heard a word we have said!" laughed Chin. Kono blushed and looked bashfully down at the table. She had thought that she was so discreet.

"I´m sorry. What where you talking about?"

"Grace here," Danny said and pointed to little girl next to him. "Wants to start her with her surfing lessons again."

"Of course we can." She said and leaned forward to Grace. The girl smiled at her before digging back into her shrimp plate.

Kono couldn't help but smile too. She had missed spending time with the girl. They would hang out at the beach and work on Grace's form for a couple of hours and then on the way home they would stop for pancakes at Grace's favourite place. It was a nice, innocent break from the disturbing cases that was starting to become a permanent fixture in her everyday life. Grace was always happy and in a good mood. She never failed to cheer you up after a rough couple of days.

Just as she was about to dig back into her plate as well, Kono felt a hand on her thigh just above her knee. She froze and dropped the fork back on to the plate. The hand on her thigh was a hand she recognised. It had touched her before and brought her extreme pleasure. It moved higher until it reached the apex of her thigh and then it went around her lower back where it rested on her hip. She was sitting as close to Steve she could without sitting on his lap.

The subtle scent of his cologne filled her nostrils and she swooned. There was something about Steve McGarrett that had Kono swooning. It was that laid back, confident way he bore himself and it only helped that he had blue eyes that were to die for and an amazing body. She had found her boss incredibly attractive from day one and it had only grown as she got to know him. He was a good man. Loyal and thoughtful and there was no better person to watch your back.

She looked over at Steve out of the corner of her eye and he was looking straight at her. He smiled that lazy grin and the smile on her face only grew. She was really glad he was back. The first week he had left she didn't think much of it, she figured he would be back soon or he would get in touch. But when the second week was coming to an end she realised that that was not going to happen and that was when the anger and doubt set in. Maybe she had just imagined the whole thing. Perhaps whatever it was that they had shared didn't mean as much to him as she thought. Why else wouldn't he call her to let her know what was going on?

It was only a couple of days ago that she had admitted to herself in the safety of her dark bedroom that she missed him. It had actually been Adam who made her see it. As of late they had grown rather close. She and her best friend Kelly had met him in a club on one of their rare girls' night out six months ago and since then Kelly and him had been inseparable. And when he came to her about a month ago asking for her help in legitimising his father's business she happily agreed and it had been a welcome distraction to keep her mind of Steve. But spending a lot of time with someone led to talking and Steve came up. Adam listened and gave it to her straight. He wasn't fooled by her front and told her very clearly that she was in fact missing him and that was why she was in such a bad mood. When she got home that night she spent hours thinking it all over and over.

Perhaps he hadn't meant anything with his disappearing, maybe he had just been so focused on his task it didn't even cross his mind how she would overthink it. He wasn't a bad person and by the way he was acting, he was still very much considering them and she would regret it for months to come if she walked away now. So she leaned in slightly in his embrace in acceptance and hoped he got the message.


	2. Chapter 2

Jealousy

It was early. Too early for anyone to be up yet and way too early for Kono to be awake. The one thing Kono loved more than surfing was sleep and still Steve's hand came in contact with cold sheets. He opened his eyes and noticed that her side had not been touched which meant that Kono had not come to bed. Steve sighed and sat up, the white cotton sheet pooling in his lap. The clock on Kono's nightstand showed 4am and he dragged a hand down his face. Kono's absence explained his restless sleep and if he was tired, Kono had to be exhausted. Yesterday had been rough.

The house was quiet and when he walked down the stairs the first floor was covered in darkness. Steve expected to find Kono on the couch but it was empty and she wasn't in the kitchen or the den either. She couldn't have left could she? He was just about to go outside and look for her car when he caught something in the corner of his eye. The door to the back patio was opened and there sitting on the steps was Kono.

She was sitting with her back to him and looked out over the black ocean in front of her. It was quiet chilly out since the sun was still down but Kono was still wearing her top and shorts from yesterday. When Steve sat down next to her he noticed the goosebumps that covered her arms.

"You didn't come to bed." he broke the silence after a few minutes. Kono had yet to look at him since he sat down. "I don't like fighting with you, Kono."

"Me neither." She said quietly.

Yesterday they had been working on a case concerning a drug ring. They got close to catching them and in a moment of panic the leader took a family in a nearby store hostage. Steve had done as demanded and gone in unarmed and without a vest. Everything had been going fine until it suddenly didn't. There had been a struggle for the gun and it went off. It was the other guy who got hit but he managed to deliver a few punches on Steve first. When the team entered he was almost unconscious from a blow to the head. Lori who had kneeled next to him was just a blurry figure and when things cleared and Lori drove him to the hospital the others were gone.

It was first when it was time to go home hours later that he got a moment alone with Kono. They had been seeing each other for six months but they still kept it from the rest of the team. At first they kept silent because everything was so new and they didn't want to mess the team up if things didn't work out. Then it was in fear of the governor splitting the team up and now… now it was just easier to keep quiet, there was no natural way to bring it up. But it was hard to keep quiet. Kono had come to mean a lot to him and to not be able to worry or care in public was hard, especially with their line of work, and it was starting to take its toll on them.

Steve had barely opened the door before Kono lay into him. She was so angry and there was no stopping her. Steve didn't understand why she got so upset, he still didn't. It wasn't the first time he got hurt or put in danger. But the fight escalated and he went to bed without them making up.

"I get that it was stupid to not wear a vest, I get that. I just don't understand why you got so angry? I thought you were okay with no one knowing about us?"

"I was. I am. It's just… she won't back off!" Kono almost growled out the last part.

"Who?"

"Lori!" Steve laughed that was the most ridicules thing he had heard. Lori was coming on to him? There was no way. But Kono seemed to think differently. Her eyes flashed dangerously and he shut up. "She likes you Steve. Everyone but you notices it. She asks about you all the time and you should see her when you say she did something good. It's annoying. Then today when you got hurt she had the guts to think she was in charge and sent us away so that _she_ could take care of you."

"Kono." he tried quietly.

"At that moment I just wanted to tell her to back off and throw myself at you."

"I would have gladly let you!" he smirked.

"I know it's stupid but I can't help it. She knows you're involved, yet she tries to get in your pants." She grumbled and Steve pulled her into his chest.

"There is only one teammate I let get into my pants. And that is you. Lori doesn't stand a chance." Steve kissed her forehead and hugged her closer. "Why don't you come back to bed? It seems like I can't sleep very well without you anymore."

Kono nodded against his chest and let Steve pull her up and inside the house. When they reached the bedroom Steve lay down in the middle of the bed and pulled down Kono on top of him. Steve sighed and placed a kiss on her hair. This was what he looked forward to after a long day at work. They didn't live together but during these six months they had not spent a night apart if the other one hadn't been out of town and Steve who normally didn't cuddle found himself with a new favourite past time. To have Kono close, feel her warmth and hear her breathe, it was very soothing and comforting.

A week later it was Steve that got in Kono's situation. They were working on a case involving a very attractive attending from the hospital and he seemed to have developed an interest in Kono. Steve didn't like it. Not one bit.

He was standing by his car outside the hospital. The case was over and had ended well and he was waiting for Danny to turn up so that they could drive back to the office. Lori stood next to him and was trying to strike up a conversation when he saw it. The handsome doctor had run out of the building and grabbed a hold of Kono's arm to stop her. It was all laughs and giggles. What made Steve see red however was when the doctor reached forward to push a strand of Kono's hair behind her ear. He brushed part Lori without a word and strode up to the cute couple.

"Kono!" he called out to get her attention.

Kono turned to face him with a wondering expression. When he reached her he didn't give her a moment to react before he grabbed her face and pressed a passionate kiss to her lips. Within seconds Kono was responding to the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. There was no doubt that it wasn't a familiar act between the two to the bystanders. They broke apart and Kono had a big grin on her face.

"I guess it's out." She laughed and nodded in Lori's direction. Lori looked crushed, but Steve couldn't be bothered. The important thing to him was that the doctor got his message and walked back into the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

To Truelove 13. I hope you like it because I was already working on in it when I got your prompt. If not just let me know what you want instead! :) And the rest of you, feel free to come with suggestions of what you want to hear!

xLexie

Fear

At first it felt good to have put a bullet in the man who pushed her over the edge and let her sink to her death at the bottom of the ocean. But the feeling of satisfaction ran away like the sand in the hourglass. Come nightfall she was sitting down at the beach with an empty feeling in her stomach as pictures of the night before flashed in her head. Kono had faced death many times before, looking down at the barrel of gun. It was a part of the job and it did not frighten her as much as it probably should. Unfortunately the day she can't handle having a gun pointing at her is the day she can no longer do her job. That's why every time she went to sleep those images did not haunt her the way this did. Every time she tried to close her eyes or relax the images started to play in her head.

She really did not want to be alone, but she did not know who to call. It did not feel right to call Chin, he was too busy at the hospital dealing with the fact that Malia might never wake up again. Danny was not an option since he was trying to stop Rachel from leaving the island with Grace and Steve was busy protecting his mother from a psychopath. She could of course call Adam, he did after all save her life, but it was not his voice that she wanted to hear.

The sound of the waves rolling into shore, a low and powerful sound, made the hair at the back of her neck rise. It was ridicules that something like the ocean that had been like a second home to her could frighten her. She had played in the water every day her entire life. Maybe it would be different in a couple of days but as it was right now she did not dare to walk any closer than 20 feet. Had the Kono from two days ago seen her now she would have laughed at how pathetic she was acting and thrown her into the water with her clothes still on.

Kono buried her feet deeper into the sand in front of her and forced herself to look out at the ocean. She followed the waves one by one with her eyes as it rolled into shore and tried to steady her breathing. Every time it would crash against the sand and make rumbling sounds, she would repeat to herself that it would not, it could not, hurt her.

She did not know how much time had passed as she sat there. It could be minutes. It could be hours. But when she finally broke her stare with the waves it was because she heard approaching footsteps. It was first when whoever it was stopped in front of her that she looked up to see who it was. And when she did her breath caught in her throat. In front of her stood Steve. He looked down at her with a worried gleam in his eyes and Kono felt like bursting into tears. Steve was just the person she wanted to see. There was something about her boss that made her feel safe whenever he was around.

"You weren't at home." Steve said as an explanation to why he was standing in front of her at the beach. But Kono could not care any less. She was just happy that he was here.

Steve took a seat next to her and draped something over her shoulders. After taking a closer look she noticed that it was one of his hoodies. Kono had been so consumed by her thoughts that she had not noticed the chill in the evening air.

"Thank you!" She whispered. She knew that if she were to speak her voice would crack and she would burst into tears. And she really did not want the toughest man she knew to see her in tears. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine!" she answered quickly and avoided his eyes.

"Really?" he asked in disbelief. "Now why don't I believe that?"

"Not my problem. How's things with your mom?" Steve sighed. He knew what she was trying to do with the change of subject, but he decided to indulge her for a little while at least.

"I left her with vitsec earlier, but there is still things I feel like she hasn't told me."

"Good or bad?"

"With her I can only imagine it to be bad. Our history speaks for itself." he sounded almost sad to Kono, but he also sounded determined to get to the bottom of whatever it was he felt was being kept from him. "Now that you know how I am, am I finally going to find out how you are?"

Kono sighed and altered between looking out at the ocean and looking at Steve. She debated whether she should tell him everything and be honest with him or give him the edited version and only tell him a half-truth. But she needed to tell someone and he was offering. Besides, had she not wanted to call Steve before even though he was unavailable?

"I can't do it. Go in to the water I mean." a tear trickled out of the corner of her eye. She tried to discretely wipe it away but Steve was sharp and noticed it immediately.

"Kono-"

"It's pathetic! I live in the ocean. I have been pulled under a million times by tough breaks and I was back in the ocean within the next hour. But now… a step further than this and I panic! I… I-" she choked.

Wordlessly Steve moved closer to her and draped his arm around her shoulders. Kono let herself be drawn into his chest and drew comfort from his warmth. A pair of lips pressed against her hair line and Kono froze. She liked Steve and she had for a while now. It had never been a problem and she has been able to work and hang out with him like normal but then six months ago things changed.

At first Kono thought she imagined it but the more it happened the clearer it became that it was actually happening. Steve would flirt with her sometimes around the smart table and he would pay her more compliments and prays than he usually did. He and Catherine were on a break or whatever since she had been shipped out for an unknown length of time and one night after they had gone out for a beer, Steve went home with her. They spent the night together and Kono couldn't stop smiling when she woke up to him looming over her with his famous grin. He looked uncannily pleased with himself. That morning in her kitchen making breakfast she felt as if the both of them were genuinely happy. But when they got into the office that day, Catherine was waiting for Steve in his office. Steve being the gentleman he was, loyal to a fault, thought he owed Catherine a chance and that was the end of their relationship.

It was now six months ago and nothing had changed. Last Kono heard Steve was still together with Catherine and she and Steve were in that awkward stage of knowing each other more intimately than co-workers. But here Steve was, holding her, comforting her and kissing her hair. Inside Kono melted, this is what she wanted that morning she woke up with Steve, but it was also not hers to have.

"You had me real scared, Kono." Steve spoke quietly into her hair. "When Danny met me at the airport and told me what happened my heart stopped. I feel for Chin, I really do, but the thought of being close to losing you to that man twice without being able to protect you… the pain I felt is indescribable."

"Steve…"

"You mean a lot to me, Kono." At that Kono's heart stopped. Could this be what she thought it was?

"Wh-what about Catherine?" she asked. This had to be a joke and she did not want to be made a fool off.

"That has been over for a month." Steve chuckled. "Where have you been, hiding under a rock?" Kono laughed and punched him jokingly on the chest. "I have been trying to talk to you, but you seem to have been ignoring me…" his voice was teasing.

It was true. Though she managed to work with him, Kono had gone out of her way to never truly be alone with him, always pairing up with Chin and going into her office pretending to be busy on the phone when they were the only ones at the office. If they by chance got left alone she would fill the time with mindless chatter about the case or trivial things, never something close to deep or personal. Therefor she had no idea that Catherine was out of the picture. But now that she thought about it Catherine hasn't been around lately. It had been several weeks since she had joined in on lunch at Kamekona's or for beers at their usual place.

"Oh." she said bashfully and pressed slightly closer to Steve.

"I want you to stay at my place tonight." when Kono started to protest Steve shushed her. "No expectations, I just want to make sure you are okay. I need to know that you are okay."

"Okay."

"Then let's go. You are ice cold."

Steve stood up and wiped of the sand on him before he helped Kono to stand. She took his out stretched hand and let him lead her to his car. Perhaps this day wasn't so bad after all. Kono couldn't imagine a better way to end it then in Steve's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

To have a home. To have a family. It had all been a forging concept to Steve when he landed back on Oahu three years ago. His mother's supposed passing when he was a teenager had made that impossible. Even just thinking about it meant pain. It was easier to just shut down and do what he was good at. But the moment he stepped off that plane all of that changed.

His family was bigger now than it had ever been before and the most part was not even blood related. People he had no connection to three years prior had worked their way into his life and was now people he considered family. He had "brothers", "nieces", close friends and an amazing woman to fall asleep to every night. Never did Steve think it would feel this good to have people to care about, to protect, and to have people who cares that you come home safe. It was all new and left him very open and vulnerable, but Steve wouldn't have it any other way. Finally he had something worth coming home to.

The best part of it was sleeping right next to him with her face buried in his pillow. Her dark hair was going in every direction and the white cotton sheet was riding low on her back, exposing a lot of the soft, golden skin he loved to touch. And today was no different. His fingers where running lightly up and down her spine, stopping only to rub her neck slightly or to run over the swell of her bum.

Steve really should be asleep. It had been a long day at work, chasing suspects and hanging them from rooftops, and he was exhausted. His bed companion had long since fallen asleep but Steve has been too busy watching her to do the same. If she was awake she would either laugh at him or call him a creep, maybe even both. But Steve couldn't help it. If there was one thing Steve knew, it was that things could change overnight and be over far too soon.

All his life he has experienced loss, every person he had ever come to care about was gone. It had left him slightly indifferent to personal relationships and it was not something he put a lot of effort into. That is why most of his relationships ran out in the sand and he couldn't care less about it. But things were truly changing and one thing Steve had learned since coming home was that he had no intention of letting the woman next to him go and if he did he would become the world's biggest idiot.

"Go to sleep!" her sleep-drunken voice startled Steve. He had been so consumed in his own thoughts that he failed to notice her eyes opening. "Your loud thinking woke me up and I am exhausted, you should be exhausted, after the day we have had!"

"I'm sorry." he smirked. Steve really wasn't sorry at all. Nothing bad could come from her waking up.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked. "Your mom?"

"No. You."

Steve looked down at her face and smiled at the chocolate brown orbs that peaked up at him from beneath the sheet.

Two years. Two years of waking up this sight almost daily and Steve wouldn't have it any other way. He loved it and he loved her. To share his house and his everyday life with someone had not been as hard as he expected. In fact, it had not been hard at all. It had just happened. More and more of her clothes and trinkets turned up at the house, her shirts mixed with his in the laundry basket, his showers went from three minutes to almost fifteen at times and then his house key turned up in her chain because she needed to pick something up. Now she used the key daily and her clothes and trinkets had gotten a permanent place in his drawers and cupboards. It was now their house, not his. That day three years ago, when he was introduced to her on the beach, was the best day of his life.

"Oh really?" Kono raised her eyebrow and he could hear the laughter in her voice.

"I am very glad that I decided to stay." he spoke softly. It was still a foreign thing for him, to show and express feelings openly. But he was getting better at it. He didn't want the same thing to happen that happened with Catherine.

Kono smiled and said; "Me too."

"You make me very happy, Kono!"

"Even though I make you take up all the hot water while we shower?" she teased.

"Especially then!" he laughed.

It was really true. He was known for his three minutes shower rule, something that had scarred Danny for life. Steve was never going to live it down for the rest of his life. But with Kono three minutes in the shower just wasn't enough. He wanted more. He always wanted more. Even when the hot water ran out and their skin was pruning. It was like he couldn't get enough. Their long morning shower had become his new favourite thing.

"I could really go for one right now." he let his hand trail up and down her spine again.

"Right now?! Are you kidding me?"

"No."

Steve got up and walked around the bed. Without a word he picked up a disbelieving Kono in his arms and walked toward the bathroom, completely ignoring her protests.

"You do know that it is the middle of the night, right?"

"So?" he questioned. "It's not something we haven't done before."

No matter what Kono said, Steve wouldn't stop. Then again, it wasn't like she put up much of a fight. When he sat her down on the counter next to the sink, she willingly let Steve strip her of the t-shirt she had taken from his drawer earlier.

Steve took his time, making sure he touched her as much as possible. He loved to see the small reactions he got from her. The small gasp there, the little twitch there and the goose bumps that covered her skin. Then there was her hands who managed to get the same reaction out of him. He let them travel down from his neck and across his chest until they found his hips and the waist of his pants.

When they were both free of clothing Steve picked her up again and moved them into the shower and turned on the water. It was cold at first and Kono shrieked. Steve only laughed. The cold water wasn't something that affected him anymore after his years in the Navy and in various run down places in the world. He pushed them further under the stream and wrapped his arms tightly around Kono and let her bury herself in his chest.

"You make me really happy too, Steve." said Kono to his chest. "I can see myself be happy with you…" she trailed off.

Steve held his breath. Was she saying what he think she was saying? Did she know what he had been thinking about the last month but had only been too afraid to do something about? He could feel how his heart started beating faster at the thought. There was no way she had found it… he had been so careful since he didn't want to ruin things. For Steve to only contemplate such a thing meant that it had been a big deal and that he had put a lot of thought into it. He didn't want anything to compromise it.

Twenty minutes later Steve turned off the water. Kono walked out of the bathroom to head back to bed, but Steve stayed behind for a minute to gather his thoughts. At first he had planned for this to be big and grand, but that just wasn't them. Neither of them were big fans of big displays of affection. They were very private people and they preferred it to be just the two of them without the whole world watching. So it might not be the perfect moment Steve had planned to present the little black box he was hiding in his drawer, but maybe it was the perfect moment for them.


	5. Chapter 5

Kono sat at a table with a perfect view of the door. Every time the door opened she looked over there with a racing pulse. When his name popped up on her screen yesterday she thought she was hallucinating.

When she and Adam broke up six months ago it had not been pretty and she had not expected to hear from him again. At the beginning of their relationship everything had been so new and exciting, sneaking behind everyone's backs and keeping it a secret. But then after a while reality caught up with them and their worlds collided. Everything the people around them had predicted kicked in. It was hard to merge two worlds on opposite sides of the law and the arguments came from not being able to see things from each other's perspective or failing to want to do so. The arguments only grew until one day they simply exploded.

Now six months later she was sitting in a high end restaurant, waiting for Adam to show up. He had been very vague on the phone yesterday and Kono had worked herself up in a knot last night in bed as she tried to come up with many different scenarios of what today would entail. She was nervous. Adam was late and she was two seconds from waling out of that door. But just as she got up to leave, he walked through the doors dressed impeccably in his dark suit and white shirt.

"Kono." he greeted as he sat down at the table with her.

"Adam."

Kono couldn't find anything amiss with him. Not a hair lay in the wrong place on his head and he looked as posed and relaxed as he always did, there was no sign of him being as nervous as she was. He just picked up the menu and started to look over his options.

"How have you been?" he asked after the waiter left with their orders.

"Good. And you?"

"Oh, I have been good."

When he didn't say anything else, Kono couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. He kept looking at her with a smile on his face but he made no attempts of letting her in on what she was doing here. In the end she couldn't take it anymore.

"Why did you ask me here, Adam? I wasn't expecting to hear from you again."

"I know." his face turned sombre and more serious. "That is why I called. I didn't want to leave thing the way there were. I said a lot of things you didn't deserve and for that I am very sorry. It was just hard to admit that we failed, I always thought we would make it." Kono smiled kindly. She had had the same illusions back then.

"We weren't right for each other. We were too different or lead too different lives that neither of us wanted to give up, we shouldn't have to justify who we are."

"I suppose you are right. But we did have good times, really good times.!

"Yes, we did."

Kono knew exactly of what good times Adam was referring to. It was memories that sometimes, in a weak moment, made her think that perhaps they gave up too easily. That maybe they just needed to be more open towards one and other. But they were both too set on following in their family's footsteps. Adam wanted to make something out of his father's legacy and wasn't too bothered by the criminals that were around. Kono on the other hand had fallen in love with the family profession and couldn't just overlook everything that Adam could and that is what broke them apart.

"But you didn't think that we could have made it?"

"Not with the way we were back then and how we saw things."

"What about now that we know differently?" Adam looked at her without a trace of emotion.

"Adan…"

"Come on, Kono. You can't say you haven't thought about it."

She had at first. But lately her thoughts had wondered in a completely different direction and a reconciliation between the two of them moved further and further away from her mind. The feelings that she had once had were no more and it didn't bother her anymore. They were over and Kono had no intention of changing that.

"It wouldn't work Adam and you know that. What we had was good and I don't regret it, but I am not interested in starting over."

"There is someone else." Adam stated calmly.

"Not exactly. I admit that I have started to see someone in a different light, but I just don't have the same feelings for you anymore."

Adam nodded and didn't bring it up again. After the waiter came with their food the conversation changed back to idle chitchat and they actually had a pleasant lunch.

At the sound of his stomach growling Steve decided it was time to break for lunch. Pushing back from his desk he walked out of his office to where Danny and Chin stood by the computer.

"Are you ready to go for lunch? I was thinking Kamekona's."

"Sure let's roll." said Danny and started to walk towards the door. When Chin followed Steve looked over to Kono's office but found it empty.

"Where's Kono? Shouldn't we wait for her?"

"Kono already left brah." said Chin. "She was meeting up with Adam, he wanted to talk."

At the mention of Adam all three guys' faces turned dark. It was no secret that that man was not a favourite around the office. They had all kept a straight face while he was dating Kono but they had all let out a breath of relief when they ended their relationship. To now hear that he was back in her life, however temporary it might be, was not something that they liked. The thought of them maybe getting back together made them all agitated and angry, but for different reasons.

Chin's reason was pretty obvious. He was protective of his cousin. The man had already hurt her once and Chin didn't want him to do it again. Danny, Danny had never liked Adam Noshimuri and will never like Adam Noshimuri. Why, Steve wasn't completely sure of but then again it was Danny so it could be just about anything. Steve's reason for not liking Adam being back in Kono's life was a little bit more complicated then history repeating itself. In fact, Steve had a hard time coming to terms with the reason himself.

When he broke up with Catherine three months ago he had started to hang out more with the team after hours. They would watch a football game, he and Chin would go fishing since the other two didn't like it and he and Kono would go surfing together since they both went to the same beach. He had always been close with Chin and Danny, but lately his friendship with Kono had grown and there had been times when he had caught himself looking at her differently. Their surfs had been extended to going to breakfast or lunch afterwards and they would sit there for hours and just talk, sometimes they even drew out the hours even further if they didn't have anywhere else to be.

He had grown very fond of her and the thought of her having lunch with Adam made his blood boil. He didn't like it and he got agitated because he didn't know or understand why he didn't like it. It wasn't like he could be jealous. Kono and he weren't an item and Kono didn't owe him anything, but why did it bother him so much that she was out with another guy? A guy that was her ex.

Steve followed the guys out to the cars and drove to Kamekona's, but he wasn't a happy camper. He hardly spoke one word during lunch. Instead he listened to Chin and Danny ramble while he stabbed the shrimps on his plate with his fork. He couldn't stop thinking of Adam and Kono. What were they doing? Was Adam trying to convince Kono to get back together with him? What would Kono say?

By the time they got back to the office they had been gone for almost an hour. Kono had been gone longer than that and she still wasn't back, which only rose more concerns in Steve. He tried to tell himself it was only because he cared and was worried she might get hurt again, like any friend and team member would, but he didn't even fool himself. Danny and Chin could tell there was something obviously wrong with him and to ignore their questions he locked himself in his office.

He needed excitement, he needed action, he needed a case. But it was quiet all afternoon and Steve was going crazy just sitting cooped up in his office with his disconcerting thoughts. Kono had not returned from her lunch with Adam when they got back to the office after an hour. When she finally did turn up half an hour later she wouldn't crack and tell them anything about her mysterious lunch.  
It was driving Steve slightly crazy and when late afternoon rolled around and Danny went home to pick up Grace from school, he couldn't have been happier. He was just about to turn off his computer when Kono turned up in his doorway.

"Hey boss, you up for a surf?"

"Sure." there was no way he would ever turn her down, no matter the conflicting emotions he was dealing with. Time alone with Kono was special.

"My car or yours?"

"Mine." his answer was imminent. "I don't trust your driving."

"You, Mr reckless, don't trust my driving? You are worse than me!" she scoffed affronted.

"You are not driving." he said and steered her out of the office.

They continued their banter all the way down to the parking lot, teasing each other and bumping shoulders. For a minute his previous irritation and concerns were completely forgotten. This was familiar, nothing between them had changed and that had to be a good thing. Maybe it was better to keep it this way, friends with no complications.

Steve drove them to their favourite beach. It was only a few minutes away from Kamekona's where he hoped they would go to for dinner to prolong their day as usual as long as she didn't have to meet up with Adam later on. He parked the car and they walked down to the beach with their boards. Kono had made it a habit to wear her bikini under her day clothes and it wasn't the first time she had stripped down in front of him, but Steve still couldn't help but admire the view. She truly looked amazing.

"So I heard you met up with Adam today." he said casually as he strapped on his safety strap around his ankle.

"Yeah." the same answer she had given Danny and Chin earlier.

"So… are you guys back together?"

"What?!" she exclaimed. When he looked up at her, she looked as if she was on the verge of laughing. "No, we're not back together. Did you really think so?"

"Yeah, well…" he rubbed the back of his neck. The obvious way she said it, made him feel ridicules for just thinking it.

"Adam and I are over for good. Besides there is someone else who has caught my eye." she smiled coyly.

"Oh really?" Steve growled. He didn't like the thought at all. It was one thing to have lost her to an ex who she still might have had feelings for. But a complete stranger? That was not even on the list of possibilities. "And who might that be?"

"Why?" she asked. "Are you jealous?" With a wink she ran down to the water with her board under her arm.

Was he jealous at the thought of her being with someone other than him? Yes, he was. He was fooling himself thinking they could only be friends. He would drive himself crazy if she ever took up a relationship with someone else. Determined to take things into his own hands and make the outcome of today the one he wanted, he grabbed his board and ran after Kono into the water. At the end of today this dancing around they were doing would end.


	6. Chapter 6

He loved her, he really did and it broke his heart to see her in so much pain. To lose someone that was important to you was never easy. But the woman he loved didn't only lose someone dear to her, she also had to witness their demise. She had to witness how the person she loved took a piece of led that travelled at immense speed to the chest. He could see in her eyes how the image kept repeating itself in her head over and over again. It haunted her and made her feel nothing but useless.

Ian Adams had been a man that Kono had looked up to since the moment he signed her to his team when she was a mere fifteen years old. He was the man who helped her become the best in what she loved, he helped her fulfil her dream of becoming a professional surfer and Steve knew how much that meant to Kono.

Her father mentioned once that all Kono had ever talked about as a child was surfing on a professional level. There had not been anything else for her. To have someone like Ian to come in to her life and make the dream reality meant everything to Kono. The man even stuck by her when that was no longer possible after her accident, her helped her up the pieces and get back on her feet.

The man had meant a lot to Kono and now they were in the car on the way to his funeral. Kono was sitting in the passenger seat, starring out the window. She refused to look him in the eye and she had not spoken one word all day that was directed directly to him. The only time she spoke was to answer one of his questions.

His hands clutched the steering wheel a little bit tighter so he wouldn't burst and demand her to look at him. Steve knew she was hurting and needed to deal with this in her own way, no one but she could rid herself of the guilt she felt, but he just wanted to help her feel better, to hold her and take the pain away, and she wouldn't let him. And when she didn't speak to him, talk about what she was feeling, he had no idea where to even begin to help her. He felt just as helpless as she did.

"Will you please talk to me Kono?!" Steve sighed. "Tell me what I can do!"

"I'm fine Steve." her voice was void of all emotion and her eyes were frozen on the window.

Taking the last turn a little too hard Steve drove into the beach parking lot and slammed the breaks when he found the nearest empty slip. They were at the beach by the Coral Prince house. Ian Adams were going to have a traditional Hawaiian burial out on the ocean. They were all decked out in swimmers and leis and were going to paddle out on boards to where the ceremony was held.

Most of the participants had already gathered on the beach and when they reached them, Kono immediately walked over to Ben.

That was another thing that bothered him. She wouldn't speak to him, she would barely look at him, but she talked to Ben who was her ex. They hadn't spoken for years up until three days ago and yet she found that she could confide in Ben instead of him, her boyfriend for the past three years.

Steve shook his head and walked over to where Chin was standing in the background, here to support his cousin. He was looking over at Kono with concerned eyes. It was all they had been doing the last couple of days, he and Chin and Danny. Looking at her. Worrying about her. They were all concerned.

"How I she?" he asked.

"I don't know. She won't speak to me."

"At all?" Chin sounded surprised. Steve shook his head.

"She will barely look at me. The only one she will speak to is Ben." he nodded over to where the two of them were standing smiling at each other.

"They do have a lot of history." Chin had clearly picked up on his jealousy. "They have been through a lot together."

"So have we! I don't mind her talking to the guy if it makes her feel better. I just wish she would talk to me too so I can be there for her."

"You are here for her." he reassured him. "She will see that." Steve looked over at Kono again. He wasn't quite so sure she would.

It was time to head out and everybody walked down to the water. Kono was once again walking next to Ben and not sparing him a second glance. It hurt him more than he wanted to admit. He knew it sounded selfish. The woman he loved was in pain and all he could think about is how her seeking comfort form a friend hurt him. But it did hurt to be ignored like he didn't matter.

He stayed in the background during the service and let Kono do what she needed with the team and say her goodbyes. She was brave. No tears were shed. She just looked out over the water and listened to words that were spoken. On the way back to shore Kono kept drifting further and further away from him, so when they reached land again Steve had already decided he was going to take off. It was abundantly clear that Kono did not need him here. He looked after her as she made her way up the beach towards the house, she did not even notice that he wasn't walking with them.

It might be childish and he would probably come to regret it later, but he couldn't be here any longer and pretend everything was fine when it obviously wasn't. He needed to breath and Kono wouldn't be alone, she had both Ben and Chin.

The car door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang and in pure frustration he threw away his keys somewhere in the car. He was at a total loss at what to do. Before he met Kono he had never been affected by being shut out. In total honest he had sometimes enjoyed the peace and quiet he got when the girl he was seeing was dealing with something. He never pressed on or wanted to be there so badly and help like he wanted with Kono. He wanted to take her pain away but he didn't know how and she wouldn't tell him.

He started the car after finding the keys on the floor by the passenger seat and drove off. He had no idea where he was going though. There was no way he was going home and just wait around for Kono to maybe show her face later on. He was frustrated, restless. He needed to do something. It took him almost an hour of driving before he decided to head over the office. There was no harm in getting some paper work done and getting his mind of the whole situation.

So that's what he did. He hid in the office and did paperwork for the rest of the afternoon. Luckily for him neither Danny or Chin swung by the office to pick something up, if they had he wouldn't have gotten away with it. Chin would be the silent, understanding type but Steve would also know Chin didn't think he ought to be there, even if he understood why he was. Danny on the other hand would only nag and tell him was being selfish or lacked empathy. In the end he would only end up in a worse mood than he already was.

When the clock struck six he had been staring at papers for almost three hours and was starting to see double of everything. He dropped what was in his hands and leaned back into his chair. It might be time to start heading home, even if it was the last thing he wanted to be doing. He dreaded what was waiting for him when he arrived. He didn't know what would be worse, an empty house or Kono being there, still ignoring him.

"Kono?" he called out when he opened the front door.

The house was dark and he got no response. It didn't feel good. Placing his keys on the table by the door, he walked through the house and turned on the lights as he went. But Kono was nowhere to be found. Sighing he pulled out a beer from the refrigerator and walked out back. He walked down to the beach and sat down in the sand and took a swig from the bottle. His phone showed no text or missed calls from Kono, but he decided to make one last attempt for the day. He pressed call and waited with bated breath for her to pick up.

"Hello?"

"It's me. I was just wondering when you were going to be home."

"I don't know." he waited for her to continue, but she stayed silent.

"Fine. I'll let you go then." he said shortly and hung up without waiting for an answer that wouldn't come.

He sat down at the beach for almost two hours, nursing his beer, before he decided to call it quits and just head to bed. After dumping the empty bottle in the kitchen he walked through the house and turned off all the lights again before he climbed the stairs. Their bedroom was as dark as the rest of the house, but it felt lonelier somehow. Steve pulled of his clothes and pulled down the white covers before climbing in. He lay down on his side of the bed and faced the empty space that Kono usually occupied. It didn't feel right anymore without her and he had this unsettled feeling in his stomach, he didn't like it when they weren't on good terms.

There was no telling how long he lay there, just watching Kono's empty space, when he heard keys in the lock of the front door. He could hear Kono move around quietly downstairs before her footsteps moved softly up the stairs. The door creaked open and he closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep, when she joined him in the bed.

"Hi." he felt a pressure to his cheek and when he opened his eyes, he was looking into Kono's brown ones.

"Hi."

"You left."

"Yeah… I- You didn't look like you needed me around, so I thought I'd give you some space." her eyes glistened slightly in the darkness and he knew tears were gathering in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. Steve mentally groaned. He was a jealous prick.

"Shh, come here!"

He scooted over and pulled Kono up against his chest. A warmth spread through his body as her arms circled around his waist to return the embrace. Three days without really touching her was torture and just because he could, he hugged her a little tighter. Steve could feel how the knot in his stomach slowly started to come undone.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his lips pressed against her forehead.

"It hurts Steve. He's gone and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

"I know, Kono. It's going to be alright. I promise."

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "But you're here now. Everything is going to be alright."

Kono let out a long breath and buried her face in his neck. He pulled her even closer, until she almost lay on top of him, and made them comfortable under the covers. Things were going to be alright and he knew that when she was feeling better, Kono would give him hell for his jealous behaviour.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

This irrational behavior was so unlike her. She was not the kind of person who got tied up in knots over matters like this. She didn't snap at people, and she certainly didn't go out of her way to steer clear of someone in an attempt to avoid talking to them. Kono Kalakaua faced her problems head on, yet here she was acting like a little school girl. It angered her that she let herself become this affected.

It had been almost six months now since she did the one thing you are not supposed to do and fell into bed with her very attractive boss. The memory is still very much fresh in her mind. Everything is crystal clear and she can remember every single moment in perfect detail. Kono doubted there would ever be a day where she forgot anything about that night.

They had all been out drinking one night after wrapping up another case and before she knew it, Chin and Danny had left and she and Steve were the only ones left at the bar. As they talked, Kono had caught herself staring at Steve more than once. He was attractive, he always had been, but at that moment it was like it had been intensified and she just couldn't stop looking at of that would have been fine too if only he hadn't started to flirt with her.

 _"_ _Hey!" he shook her out of her stupor. "What is going o in that beautiful head of yours?" Beautiful? Did he really just call her beautiful?_

 _Kono bit her lip and pondered on whether she should let him in on what was going on up there, but decided against it. She was drunk, but she wasn't so far gone that she would make a fool out of herself and admit her attraction towards him._

 _"_ _Did you just call me beautiful?" she raised one of her dark eyebrows._

 _"_ _I did." he smirked from the other side of the table and took another swig of his beer._

 _"_ _Steve…"_

 _"_ _What, is it really so hard to believe that I find you attractive?" was it really? To be honest it was a possibility that she had not dared to even contemplate._

 _"_ _No… yes, I don't know. I just figured that you didn't see me like that, you guys have always treated me like I´m just one of you…"_

 _"_ _Trust me. I noticed you!" Steve said softly and looked a her with a gentle glint in her eyes that made her forget all abut the world outside of their table._

Twenty minutes later they found themselves at Steve's place where they stumbled through his front door. Steve had then proceeded by leading her up the stairs to his bedroom and they stayed up there for the reminder of the night. She did try to save face and sneak out in the morning before he had woken up. She didn't see any need to make things worse than they already were, but Steve woke up before she finished dressing and pulled her back into bed and didn't let her leave until the very next morning when they had to go to work.

It had not stopped there though. She just had to take it one step further and fall in love with the guy.

After that night Kono had thought that they would leave it at that, but Steve apparently had other ideas because he would not let it go. Every day he would touch her or do some little thing that would open up her eyes to him just that little bit more, like grab her a coffee when he went to get some or ask her to go with him to Kamekona's and pick up the lunch order instead of Danny.

For over four months that did not spend one single night apart, but still what they had were undefined. Kono hadn't minded, but then she returned home from a two month long vacation to find that Steve's very attractive ex-girlfriend had joined the team and they seemed very close. This was something he had failed to mention during their daily conversations. Nothing said "we're over" like getting cosy with your ex that you need really let go off.

The worst part of it was that both of them acted like nothing had or was going on, and now she had to watch Catherine act all hysterical as Steve and Danny were buried under a multistory building.

Kono stood off to the side with Amber, Danny's new lady-love, and watched as Catherine hovered over the computer as she talked to Steve. Everyone had had the opportunity to talk to the guys except for her, because every single time they called Kono managed to find herself on the other side of the island doing one thing or another, and it irked her slightly and woke up the ugly green eyed monster.

Then again she didn't really know what she would say if she did get the opportunity to talk to Steve. She had kind of ignored him to the best of her ability since she got back and found that Catherine was back as well, and when they did speak their conversation was limited to work only. That's why she was so surprised to hear what he said next as she listened in on their conversation. Yes, she was not above eavesdropping.

"Hey Cath, is Kono around?"

"Yeah, she's here."

"Can you put her on for a minute, please?"

"Sure." Catherine turned around from the screen and smiled at her gently. "Kono!"

She made her excuses to Amber and walked slowly past the rubble that entrapped them man she loved and one of her best friends. Catherine moved away from the screen and left her to it. Then she could finally see him. He looked a little roughed up, but he was still smiling. Even in a dire situation like this he still didn't loose his undying optimism.

"What's up boss?" she asked in what she thought was a cool and professional tone.

"I though we were past that stage already." Steve quirked an eyebrow at her and grinned like he knew all of her secrets, which he actually did. But his smile quickly turned into a frown as he looked at her. "That's a nasty cut there on your forehead beautiful, have you had that looked at?"

"I'm fine." she had a light headache, but that was to be expected after the ordeal they have been through today. "Now what do you need me to do?"

"You know that new sushi place you love over on King Street?" Kono held her breath. He had just revealed to everyone present that he knew her on a much more intimate level than coworkers. This could blow the last bit of dignity she still obtained straight out the window. "Give them a call and make a reservation for us tonight. I just need to grab a quick shower first."

"Steve, I don't think-"

"Don't argue with me! I would do it myself but I'm a little bit tied up here at the moment. Now go, get your head checked out, book our table and as soon as I get out of here I'm going to pamper you and we are going to talk." Kono nodded slightly embarrassed. She literally feel Catherine's stares at the back of her head.

"Can you put Danny on? There's someone here who wants to talk to him." she waved over Amber just in time for Danny to show up on the screen.

Kono stepped down from the pile of rubble and tried to slink away unseen as she contemplated what to do. It was now out in the world. Everyone knew or at least had an indication of what had transpired between the two of them. It felt strange and she felt like the biggest idiot on the planet. Falling for her boss who gave her a job on his task-force before she even graduated from the academy. Kono could only imagine what the others at HPD were saying behind her back. And what was with this dinner tonight? What was his endgame?

She could hear footsteps slowly approaching the car she was hiding behind and she cursed. All she really wanted right now was to be left alone and have a moment to think before she had to face everyone again. And the headache was really starting to get to her.

"Kono?" came Catherine's soft voice and Kono had to hold back the scream of frustration she wanted to let out. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath before turning around.

"Yeah?"

"You do know that you have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about right?" Catherine inquired softly. The soft way she spoke and the friendly expression on her face told Kono that Catherine was not here for any kind of confrontation.

"I'm a walking cliche." she said and threw out her arms for a dramatic affect. "I slept with my older and unavailable boss. It's the oldest story in history."

"But it was a lot more than that wasn't it?" Catherine smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're an idiot! Steve has not been able to talk about anything but you for months and he couldn't wait for you to come home. I know what it must have looked like to you to come home and see me here, but there is nothing going on between me and Steve and there never will be. He is one of my closest friends, just that; friends and I would like to think that maybe one day you and I can be friends as well, I would love to get to know the girl that my friend has fallen head over heels for."

Kono was stunned. It was all a lot to take in, but Catherine's words was everything that she wanted to hear. Steve was not involved with Catherine, and she was not the only one who had been affected by their time together. It was hard to fantom.

"We are going to get them out and when we do, don't hold back. It hurt him to be away from you, just like I imagine it hurt you as well. You both obviously like each other so don't complicate things too much." Catherine gave her one last smile before walking off to where someone called her name.

Ten mintes later an excited shout from over by the rubble caught Kono's attention and she made her way over. There was smoke coming out from a small hole and people were starting to bring equipment to start digging.

Kono bit her lip and tried not to get too excited. They had met dead ends and set backs all day, there was nothing to say that this wasn't just another one. But as the workers stepped back and they sent down a line, Kono dared to get her hopes up. When the familiar blonde mop could be spotted she didn't know what to do with herself. She hugged Danny tight before Chin helped him down to get checked out.

Now it was Steve's turn. They threw down the line again and Kono held her breath until she saw his head come above ground. He was covered in dust residue but otherwise he seemed unharmed. She breathed a sigh of relief and it didn't bother her too much that Catherine got to him first, because before it really registered Steve pulled out of Catherine's embrace and took her into his arms. Her face got buried in his chest and she took a deep breath. It felt way to good to be back in his arms.

She stayed in his arms for a few minutes and let him sooth her, but when she finally did try to pull away he wouldn't let her. He kept a firm hold on her and started to lead them down from the rubble.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I am now." Kono smiled.

"Are you going to let me go any time soon?"

"Not very likely." she could literally hear the smirk in his voice and she couldn't help but laugh. "Now, have you gotten that wound looked at?" he asked and brushed over the gash on forehead gently with his fingers.

"I'm fine Steve, I'm not the one who has been trapped under a building for several hours!" Steve shrugged.

He lead them over to where Danny stood talking to Amber and Grace, and when they little girl spotted her uncle she broke away from her father and ran up to greet them. Steve embraced the girl with the arm he didn't have wrapped around Kono.

"Uncle Steve!"

"Hey sweetheart." Grace let him press a kiss to her forehead before she ran back to her father's embrace.

"Do you guys think I can talk to Steve for a while?" Danny asked and looked at all the girls to make themselves scared for the moment.

Amber took Grace and led her away to one of the cars that were going to drive them home, while Steve turned her towards one of the ambulance and she groaned. She had no other choice but let the amboguys check her out, he wouldn't let it go until she did. She watched from her seat on the rig how the guys embraced and exchanged a few last teasing words before parting ways. The guy that was patching up her head placed the final gauze on her wound and then she was good to go.

Steve met her halfway and took her into his arms again.

"All good?"

"Just a scrape." she played off.

"Good. Now we have a restaurant to get to."

The night was good. It was beyond good. After Steve got cleaned up and they arrived at the restaurant they talked non-stop as they ate. It felt like no time had passed and it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be to talk about the big elephant in the room. At the end of the night they were in a good place and Steve didn't have to do much convincing for to agree to come back to his place afterwards.

Steve lay on his stomach on the couch and she was straddling his legs as her kneaded his sore muscles with her hands, the game was playing softly in thebackground. After a day of pushing rubble and a lot of tension had taken its toll on his body. Kono in turn relished in the feel of his bare skin again. She loved touching him and this was the first time in months.

"Oh, right there Nani!" he groaned when she hit a particularly sore spot. Kono smiled at the Hawaiian nickname, she loved when he called her that.

When she had worked through his entire back she stroked him softly up to his neck before climbing off him to let him sit up. She found herself immediately in his arms, head resting against his bare chest, his hand trailing up and down her arm.

"I've missed this!" he sighed. "It's been way to long."

"Mhm." she hummed in agreement. It really had.

"Is there anyway I can persuade you to stay the night and not go home?"

"I don't think you have to try too hard." she moaned as he placed a kiss in the crook of her neck and he laughed, his chest rumbling.

"Good, because I really wasn't going to let you go, baby. Not now that I've got you back!"

All feelings of jealousy and insecurity were long forgotten and she was perfectly content right where she was. There was no way she could have predicted that this would happen when she woke up this morning, but she was really happy that it had happened. Who knew it would take a falling building for them to get their act together.


End file.
